Heart Shaped Box
by Sailor Pluto
Summary: (Revised) The Flanders aren't as perfect as they may seem, for no one is ever truly perfect. It only takes one tiny ripple in the water to set off a chain of waves as everything that is so seemingly perfect crumbles and things start coming to light. Will anyone ever truly be happy or will the pain of everything take its toll on them all?
1. Heart Shaped Box

Heart Shaped Box

By Sailor Pluto

(A/N: This is basically a revision of my beloved Simpsons story because I saw it and realized that I can do way better then that! Now obviously the title of the story is named after the song Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana. So anyway I hope this works out and this one comes out a little cleaner then the other one. Thank you for all the revives and all the love on my story! Enjoy this revised version!)

Its funny how there are people who hide behind God and use him as an excuse, go out and beat the shit out of your wife and then go to church on Sunday. That and then you had the over zealous ones the ones who told you, that everything you did was a sin and God was hateful towards you for every move you made.

The others tended to be the ones who acted holier than thou when they, themselves had never been holier than thou. No one was ever truly flawless or perfect.

Everyone was riddled with flaws, imperfections and false truths. They were also full of lies and dirty little secrets, some that stayed hidden and others that shined through and just refused to stay completely hidden.

Human beings were just shapes with threads that when pulled could be completely unraveled. It was a dark and bitter thing to pick apart humanity such as that but that's what Maude Flander's had started doing because her whole world had changed and completely unraveled. All because someone pulled on her thread.

Maude Flander's tried seeing blocking everything out and she hated seeing how they presented themselves as these churchy holy church goers but in truth as perfect as they seemed, they weren't.

That day after the hurricane had hit Springfield, Ned had partially shown his true colors and it was known that Ned had a bad temper but being instituionalized hadn't helped the temper situation at all.

It hadn't helped the fact that he was still an abusive fucking asshole who basically hid behind God. Maude feared him and had absolutely no choice or say in anything. Well the kids didn't know, they just followed the sad, sad act that Maude and Ned were putting on. It was all a show and it was just a show, a show that Maude was tired of.

If only there was something, something to change it and alter it. Then again if Maude went wishing for that, things may not get better. It might just get worse.

Despite what she had been through the many many things she was going through, Maude still had some faith. She still believed in God and all that just not in the way that her and Ned had made it out to be.

What she didn't understand is that they said everything happened for a reason, so then what reason did the bad things happen for? And to her more or less.

Though there were much worse things that happened in the world but still it remained a premise that Maude ceased to understand.

Another Sunday, spent sitting in the car as they made their way to church. Listening to church music and it made Maude winced slightly because she couldn't change to the classic rock station.

Which was her guilty pleasure when she was driving alone, how sad that classic rock was considered a guilty pleasure in her life.

Before she had met Ned though, Maude had been an all out rocker but that changed when Ned got worse and then he had full control over her and the saddest part was that they hadn't married for love. Maude had gotten pregnant and they had to marry or well at least her parents had said they had to marry.

While Ned's parents were carefree and it didn't matter top them, in some ways his parents were hippies, beatniks and they had said it didn't matter. It was all such a huge complete total mess of itself.

Then Maude lost the baby and that had been devastating however she thought that for the first time she could be free and be happy to love whoever it is that she wanted. To _actually_ and _truly_ have someone that she loved so deeply. However those hopes were dashed, because a part of her was afraid to leave Ned.

At that point everything and their lives had been established and then she got pregnant again and this time with Rod.

Surely she couldn't leave their child fatherless, especially because Ned was the father and either way he'd put up a very nasty fight to get a hold of the child.

So Maude just withdrew and dropped all her hopes and dreams just so she could be hopelessly stuck and lost. Just so she could become this and be something she was now starting to hate. The car came to a stop and Maude sighed as she opened the door.

Getting out of the car but she was about to find out that it would be the day when everything changed and unraveled. When things would get better only to get worse and then only to possibly get better again.

Maude's eyes widened at who she saw when she got out of the veichle, it was Suichi Tomoko. With his beautiful crimson eyes and dark hair, he looked like a character come out of an anime and it just so happened that he had once been Maude's true and only love. After she had lost her first child, she had left for awhile.

Even Ned wasn't aware of what happened.

Maude had met Suichi and had fallen deeply for him, he was her one true love and the affair went on but then it faltered when Ned came looking and Maude had to go home. She knew Rod wasn't Suichi's child because Rod hadn't come out looking part Japanese.

Which was a relief to Maude but she couldn't help but think what if?

Suichi turned and locked eyes with Maude who just stood there staring at him until Ned had caught her attention and she snapped out of the reverie. Oh he was back in and town from the snatches of conversation she was hearing.

Suichi had moved to Springfield and was there to stay.

She felt her heart soar but then it dropped right back to earth.

Maude couldn't just pick up where she left off with Suichi, she had two kids now and she didn't think it would be a good idea. It would be an affair, make her an adulterer but hadn't she pretty much already deserved a scarlet A when did it the first time?

Or was it different if one had children.

Maude felt her head spinning and she had completely zoned out of Reverand Lovejoy's sermon in light of all her thoughts.

When she walked out of the church she was tapped on the shoulder by Suichi, Maude spun around and turned towards him. "Suichi, what are you doing here? Back in Springfield I mean?"

Suichi was still good looking even now and Maude swore her heart started thumping in rapid speed against her chest.

Suichi smiled before anwsering. "I've always liked it here and figured it'd be a good place to live and besides I feel like I left something behind. Something good, something very unforgettable. Plus it was the only place that was beautiful enough to live and accomidate my job at the same time."

Maude was about to anwser when Ned introduced himself and then turned towards her. "Do you two know each other?" Just right about when Suichi was going to anwser Maude cut in. "College, we went to college together! We were great friends and I'm actually so happy that he came back."

Ned seemingly didn't think anything of it and merely shook hands with Maude putting on that shameless show he did. "Well it sure is diddly iddly good to have some new blood in the town."

He smiled and at the words diddly and iddly Suichi gave Maude a sideways look and she just shrugged unsure of what to say about it and there was not much she could. Not infront of Ned at least.

Suichi wrote down his phone number and passed it to Maude. "Maybe we can go out for dinner sometime and catch up." "That would be wonderful." Maude put the number in her purse.

Suichi walked away and when he did Ned glared out of the corner of his eye at Maude. "I'll be damned if your going out to dinner with HIM!"

She sighed. "No Ned, no worries I won't."

Marge Simpson ended up inviting them out to lunch despite Homer's groans of protest and so once more in the car church music blaring and Maude turned to Ned. "Ned can't we listen to something oh I dunno. Normal! I have no qualms about religion but I want some damn Metallica!"

Rod & Todd's eyes widened and Ned just looked dumbfounded. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Todd spoke up. "But Mommy! Rock & Roll and especially Metal is the Devil's music!"

Maude turned towards the boys. "Its a crock of a shit you know! That's not even true!" Ned hauled off and slapped Maude as hard as she good and reeled from it slightly as it stung.

"That'll be enough talk like that! I NEVER EVER want to hear it AGAIN! UNDERSTOOD?!" Maude didn't speak but her anwser was merely a nod and she turned and stared out the window of the car once more.

She could never win, ever, not with Ned.

So all throughout lunch Maude was thinking about Suichi and staring at the window, she could've talked to Marge and a few times she did but her thoughts were elsewhere and her heart wasn't in the conversation.

What Maude really needed was some air. "Uhh Neddy the grocery store is just over there and I'm not really hungry and we need some things is it okay if I go?" Maude felt like a child, asking permission to go somewhere alone.

It was pathetic.

"Sure is honey."

Maude breathed a sigh of relief and bid everyone goodbye before practically almost running out of the restuarant. She didn't go into the grocery store, she would do that on her way back. She just decided to walk down the street and just walk. Try and be free.

It seemed like now a days freedom was a rarity now a days and when she turned a corner she saw Suichi again. Maude sighed, for some odd reason he kept finding her. "College roommates Maude?" Suichi said with a raised eyebrow as he walked over to her. "Well I had to say something, he has no idea that I had an affair and he never will. We can't do this anymore Suichi, I have two kids with him."

Suichi merely took her hands in his. "It shouldn't matter though, you promised me that you would leave him for me." Maude ripped her hands out of his.

"Things changed."

Suichi knew damn well it had everything to do with her parents, from how she told it, her parents were cruel abusive people.

"Yeah, let me guess you were too much of a pussy to stand up to your parents? I get it, okay? If you had really loved me in the first place you would've fought for it." Suichi walked right on past her.

Maude was stung by his words, how could he just assume that?

Though maybe in someways it was just true, she had been a pussy, scared of what would happen to her and highly worried that she would've been killed. Things had been that bad.

Ned's voice sounded. "I thought you had some grocery shopping to do Maude! What were you doing talking to HIM?!"

Maude turned around. "Honestly I wasn't doing anything and he walked over to me!"

Ned grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her to the car throwing her in, what unnerved Maude was the silent ride home in which Ned had said nothing. Even though the kids were singing cheerful it still frightened her, her mind was not at ease and she was afraid of what was coming.

When they got home Ned sent the kids ahead first and then he grabbed Maude by the head of the hair dragging her upstairs, once they got to the bedroom he slammed her down onto the ground roughly.

"I TOLD YOU NEVER TO TALK TO HIM EVER AGAIN!"

Ned walked over and closed the window and the shades, then he pulled out a belt. Maude started up at him with widened eyes. "Honestly, I didn't talk to him on purpose! He walked over to me! What was I supposed to do? Be rude?"

It all happened so fast it was a blur, Ned had raged and Maude tried to flee but she couldn't break free and so she ended up getting more bruises and hurt more, when Ned finished left. Maude went into the bathroom and locked the door where she just cried and cried. How could she not stand up to him? How come she just took it?

When she thought about it, it was all chalked up to fear.

She was just too afraid to do anything and afraid of what would happen to her if she actually did do something about it.

Maude pulled her cell phone out of her purse that she had still been clutching and then found Suichi's number written down still in her purse. She pulled it out and called him. "Suichi, its Maude. What time can we meet for dinner tonight?"

She was about to play a dangerous game but at this point she didn't care.

(A/N: Well I hope you guys like the revision its even darker and its even more indepth then the other one, so please be kind and review and just lemme know if you love it. I worked on this a whole day and I promise that there will be new and better chapters that are improved and perfect!)


	2. Love Like Winter

Love Like Winter

(A/N: Guess who's back? Back again? That's right I finally wrote a second chapter for Heart Shaped Box and the title of this chapter is called Love Like Winter after the song Love Like Winter by AFI. Also I gotta tell you, sorry but no this story is not meant to be humorous and I refuse to put any humor in it. If you want humor then go read another story in this section because clearly you can't handle a serious and dark story. Well anyway for the rest of you I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, sorry it took me so long. Writer's block really truly honestly sucks so enjoy!)

The moment Maude Flanders hung up the phone she could've slapped herself for it, what the hell was she thinking asking Suichi Tomoko out for dinner?! She was a damned fool and if Ned ever found out, oh no Ned! How could she be so fucking stupid? Maude knew she'd end up regretting this immediately but even if she did go to see Suichi how could she possibly get away from Ned? So many things flying through her head as she sighed sadly and sat down upon the bed with her head in her hands. Would it be so bad to go out with Suichi and possibly even spend a night with him?

It couldn't be as bad as she figured besides Suichi had always taken the best care of her and cherished her and loved her. She really felt like she did need some kind of love at this point in time, someone who actually gave a damn and didn't hit her or abuse her. Ned had never once shown her love, infact even sex with Ned wasn't love it was just him forcing it upon her.

Maude lifted her head up and sat up a bit straighter, she stared at herself in the mirror with her makeup running. A visible bruise and a black eye. She looked like a ragged mess, maybe even worse then that and in this moment. Something in the back of her mind was telling her to pick herself up and go see Suichi, go be with someone who would love and cherish her. Even if it was too late to get his love back, at least she owed it to him to see him that's what she figured.

So that's what Maude did, she wiped her eyes and picked herself up. However as she prepared herself for her date with Suichi, she knew that had to think of a way to convince Ned to let her out of the house without him finding out that she was going to see Suichi. If Ned had ever found out about that, surely he would go truly insane and kill her before she even had a chance to get away.

Draped in a trenchcoat Maude walked downstairs and her heart almost leapt out of her chest when she was greeted by Ned at the end of the stairs. "Oh uh Neddy I didn't see you there." Maude said with obvious nervousness in her voice. Ned seemed to have picked up on this nervousness in her because when he spoke to her it was in a rather cold manner. "Oh and why's that? Is something going on that I should know about?" Maude's heart as well as her mind was going a mile a mintue as she tried rapidly to think of some sort of response.

Finally she though of a good response and hoped that it would at least work. "Uh no not at all, nothing too extremely important at least." Ned looked at her. "Oh and why do you look like a painted up whore then?" Maude sighed. "Well see this christian women's group in Capitol City asked me to meet up with them, they found out about the work I've done here for the women's group here in Springfield. So they contacted me and I offered to help them."

Ned seemed to think about this for a moment, a moment that seemed to be like an eternity to Maude. So when he finally gave her an anwser she was greatly relieved by it. "Sure honey you can go, do you need a ride?" Maude shook her head slightly. "No I'll be okay I called a taxi to pick up, I may be late getting home so don't wait up." Maude walked past him in what seemed to be a rush and tried her extreme hardest not to practically run out the door. Once she got into the taxi she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, finally she was home free and going to see Suichi.

This thought made Maude's heart flutter more so, Suichi she would be seeing him, talking to him and after all these years. What if there was still something between them? Her stomach couldn't help but knot up and twist around in nervousness. So much so she was afraid of the result that eating actual food would cause, she hadn't spoken to him or been near him in years. The way she had left him well, it hadn't been an act of kindness and more like an act of her being a bitch.

Maude really knew that she didn't have another chance with Suichi and even if that was the case at least she still got to see him. Maude was snapped out of her reverie when the door of the taxi opened and she was greeted by Suichi which for the first time in a very long time caused her to smile. "Hello Maude, its good to see you again." Suichi as bending slightly so that Maude could drape her arm around as when she got out. Maude couldn't stop smiling especially at the fact that Suichi had actually showed her such a loving gesture. Maybe there was still some hope after all.

"Why thank you Suichi, its good to see you again as well." Maude said as he escorted her into the resturant and then to a table. When they sat down Maude was grateful to see Suichi continue staring at her. "Is something wrong?" she asked, though she could tell there was something loving in his eyes, even still it seemed to burn so brightly that it made her heart ache slightly.

"Nothing, just that even after all these years you're so beautiful and that's why I was shocked to see you at church the other day and especially the way you were dressed but you look better now. You look like the Maude that I've always loved so dearly and remember so." Suichi told her. Maude smiled slightly. "Well its what's expected of me and I've always droned along to it but tonight I decided on something a little better."

Maude said still smiling as she stood up and took off the trenchcoat that she had been wearing to reveal she was wearing a somewhat revealing and short black dress with heels that were as deeply red as the lipstick she was wearing. "Time to bring back a side of myself that hasn't existed in so many years." Maude said as she set aside her coat and sat back down.

"You look simply gorgeous." Suichi sounded in awe as he said this, and from there they sat talking on and on the whole night. Mostly Suichi asking Maude what had happened to her since left him and she ended up giving him every single detail, some of which could only make him cringe.

Suichi had never particularly liked Ned nor did he ever like hearing about all the horrible ways he treated Maude. They never did meet but if he ever could confront Ned, he'd beat the ever living shit out of him. Suichi loved Maude more then anything in the world even now and that was something that was being proven to Maude in this moment. If she had to admit, she'd say that she still loved him all the same, all she wanted was to be held and loved by him once more.

Just like in the old days, when he loved her and cherished her greatly.

"Well look at the time, we've been here for almost three hours." Maude said staring down at her watch and as she stood up Suichi grabbed her hand. Maude turned around and stared at him. "Why don't you spend the rest of the night with me?" He asked her. "I can't, I have-" Maude didn't get to finish that sentence because Suichi wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently, lovingly, deeply. Maude felt her heart thump rapidly to life again as she moved her arms around him.

After sometime the kiss was broken and Maude looked at him, once more taken by him. It was clear that love had struck her deeply once more.

Maude pulled her cell phone out of her purse. "Ned I'm gonna have to stay here with the women's group, I'll be home tomorrow, are you guys going to be okay?" Maude said into the phone. "Yes, we'll be fine." Ned said right before they hung up. Though Maude was too lovestruck by Suichi to notice the tone of suspicion in Ned's voice.

Right now it didn't really matter because all she wanted to think about was her beloved Suichi. Maude walked out of the resturant and into Suichi's car with him, now she realized that it truly wouldn't be so bad if she did spend just one night with him. He did love her and she loved him.

Though little did she know that she had just sparked a flame which was one that would soon spread and grow into a blazing fire. Because when you play with fire, you usually get burned.

(A/N: Here's Chapter two! Finally finished for my loving masses and thank you so much for your love and support of my story, I do the best I can and I hope that this chapter and story in general serves you well. Also don't forget to review and ignore the review from a stupid troll! Also I apologize if this chapter was slightly short but I tried my best! Laterz!)


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